Background: The modified Broström procedure (MBP) is widely accepted as the primary operative treatment for chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI). However, the MBP does not produce good clinical results in all patients, and anatomic reconstruction using a free tendon graft may be considered in those patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the MBP using distal fibular periosteal flap augmentation for CLAI in patients who were not candidates for standard repair.
Methods: Thirty-eight patients (39 ankles) who underwent surgery for CLAI were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into 2 groups: an anatomic lateral ligament reconstruction group (reconstruction group) consisting of 17 ankles and an MBP group using distal fibular periosteal flap augmentation (augmentation group) consisting of 22 ankles. Preoperative and postoperative clinical evaluations were performed using the visual analog scale (VAS), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), and Karlsson-Peterson (Karlsson) scores.
Results: The mean VAS, AOFAS, and Karlsson scores significantly improved from 4.0 to 1.8, 54.7 to 92.9, and 46.4 to 92.7, respectively, in the reconstruction group ( P < .001, P < .001, P < .001), and from 4.1 to 1.5, 60.1 to 94.9, and 52.6 to 94.1, respectively, in the augmentation group ( P < .001, P < .001, P < .001). There were no significant differences in the mean postoperative AOFAS and Karlsson scores between the groups ( P = .214, P = .299).
Conclusion: The MBP using distal fibular periosteal flap augmentation was also an effective option for CLAI in cases of generalized ligament laxity, severe attenuation of the soft tissue, previous failed surgery, high demand activity, and obesity.
Level of evidence: Level III, comparative series.
Keywords: anatomic lateral ligaments reconstruction; anterior talofibular ligament; calcaneofibular ligament; chronic lateral ankle instability; distal fibular periosteal flap; modified Broström procedure.